


Keep This to Myself

by ishipallthings



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dorks in Love, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Getting Together, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, New Year's Resolutions, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28404297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishipallthings/pseuds/ishipallthings
Summary: It had started last New Year’s Eve when Tony had gotten drunk on Thor’s mead and woken up in the workshop to a list of resolutions he hadn’t remembered making. They had ranged from ‘convince Clint to dye his hair purple for a week’ to ‘set honeybear up on a blind date with Carol’, and most of them had been completely ridiculous. One caught his attention though:Kiss Steve Rogers before midnight next New Year’s Eve.
Relationships: Minor Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes - Relationship, Sharon Carter & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 165
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	Keep This to Myself

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gottalovev](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gottalovev/gifts).



> My holiday exchange fic for gottalovev, with the prompt "I like it. You look great." This kind of got away from me and turned out crackier than I had planned, but I hope you like anyway! 💜 Your prompts were wonderful :)
> 
> Title from Fallin' For You by Colbie Cailliat. 
> 
> Thank you to erde for the beta and to the mods for their support and understanding 🥰

* * *

Tony stands at the bar, watching Steve as he laughs at a joke Thor is making, the sound ringing clear across the room. He had asked Bruce to get him a drink earlier, but it’s stayed mostly undisturbed for the past fifteen minutes as he keeps his gaze on Steve, heart beating too fast for him to pretend that he isn’t feeling nervous. 

The New Year’s bash they decided to have only a few days ago is now in full swing, team members and friends and acquaintances alike all chatting amongst themselves in different groups to the beat of the music, which Tony suspects Nat put Clint in charge of. He’s always had a very eclectic taste. Tony spots many familiar faces in the crowd, and the sight of Carol and Rhodey standing close together, soft smiles on their faces, leaves him feeling happy and warm. Even if he fails in his wish for tonight, things are clearly looking good for the pair of them. It’ll be something to celebrate, along with the new year. 

A voice interrupts his thoughts. “So you’re just going to stand here and stare all night?”

Tony spins to his right and meets Sharon’s amused gaze. His fingers relax as he places his drink down on the table. “Hey, stranger.” 

Sharon grins at him, bright and knowing before tugging him into a hug. Tony leans into the touch, smiling down at her.

“I didn’t know you were coming. Nat said you were stuck finishing up a stint in France.” 

“We cleared out early, so I figured I’d pop by, see how everyone was up to. You, I haven’t seen in months, Stark.” The teasing glint in Sharon’s eyes undercuts the steel in her voice at the last sentence, and Tony slumps against her, huffing out a half-apologetic laugh. “I know, I know, I keep rescheduling on you, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t, next time.” 

“Of course not, I’ve always been your favorite.”

Tony grins at their inside joke, only to watch Sharon’s own grin turn calculating. “Then again, I think maybe someone else might be taking that place now.” 

Tony thinks about denying it, but it seems like a lost cause at this point. “Is it that obvious?” he asks, hiding a wince. 

“You do remember I know you, right? Plus you haven’t been able to take your eyes off him for the past twenty minutes.”

Sharon looks up at him, assessing. “So what are you waiting for?”

Tony sighs. That’s a good question, one he doesn’t really have an answer to. 

It had started last New Year’s Eve when Tony had gotten drunk on Thor’s mead and woken up in the workshop to a list of resolutions he hadn’t remembered making. They had ranged from ‘convince Clint to dye his hair purple for a week’ to ‘set honeybear up on a blind date with Carol’, and most of them had been completely ridiculous. One caught his attention though:

_Kiss Steve Rogers before midnight next New Year’s Eve._

He had brushed it off as a joke at first, simply his subconscious’ way of dealing with the not-sizeable-at-all crush he’d started nursing on Steve for a while now. Maybe for longer than a while, maybe ever since he’d woken up from the darkness of space to the sight of Steve’s bright blue eyes and the quiet happiness on his face when he saw that Tony was alright. But that was all it was, just a crush. Nothing more, and certainly nothing Tony couldn’t deal with discretely before it grew into something with strings, with feelings. 

Except, he’d saved the file with one single resolution without really giving himself a reason why. Except, as the weeks passed, the simple desire to lean over the dinner table or turn to him when they were sitting next to each other on the couch and kiss Steve stayed warm and bright in his chest. The desire to take his hand and kiss him slow and close in the brightness of Tony’s workshop, or on the street for all to see as they were joking and dealing with clean-up of another mission. Wanting to kiss Steve quickly turned into thinking of ways to make Steve smile, wanting him to smile at Tony, wanting to take care of him, to hold him… 

Tony doesn’t know exactly when he fell in love with Steve, only that he has. And tonight he’s made a deal with himself: a chance at one kiss, a chance to see if Steve might want everything Tony wants. 

Only it’s now one hour until midnight and he’s still standing here, not doing a single thing about what he wants. 

“I don’t know, Sharon,” Tony says, raising one hand to tug at his shirt collar. The room is packed, and it’s starting to feel a little warm. Her face is gentle with understanding when he looks up to meet her eyes, her hand on his arm, and the nervousness in Tony’s chest settles a little. 

“Just talk to him.” 

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Tony admits, lowering his voice.

There’s a pause, and then Sharon’s next words almost make Tony’s heart stop. “Well, you better figure it out fast, because he’s coming over here.”

Sure enough, when Tony looks up, Steve’s standing in front of him. There’s a slight flush to his skin that Tony finds unfairly tempting, one which suggests that this time Steve’s the one who’s had more of Thor’s mead than he meant to. He says a quick hello to Sharon before his gaze latches onto Tony’s face, bright and intense. 

Tony has to fight to cover the hitch in his voice when Steve steps closer, one hand hovering over Tony’s open collar. 

“You’re wearing the shirt I got you for your birthday.” Steve’s words are slow and measured, and there’s something in his tone that sends a shiver up Tony’s spine. Steve’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and Tony’s so caught up in that little motion he almost misses Steve’s next words. “I like it. You look great.” He swallows, his eyes never leaving Tony’s face. “You look… very good.”

Tony’s pretty sure his heart is never going to stop going a mile a minute at this rate, and it’s entirely Steve’s fault.

“Thanks. You look good too - very dashing,” he tries, feeling his face heat. _Really, dashing? That’s the best you’ve got?_ The voice in his head sounds a little like Rhodey. 

Steve’s face brightens at this, a soft, happy grin stretching across his face that Tony sees far too little of, one that always makes him feel like Steve is giving him something precious, something just for the two of them. “You think so?” he asks. 

“Of course.” Tony blinks, frowning. “You know you always—”

“Do you want to dance?” Steve’s question interrupts Tony’s words, stumbling out of his mouth in a rush like he thinks he might run out of time otherwise. His gaze settles on Sharon for a second before turning back to Tony. 

Tony bites back the incredulous _with you?_ that first comes to mind, eyes fixed on Steve’s. He knows when Steve is teasing, and this doesn’t seem like a joke to him.

“Yes,” he says quickly nodding. Maybe a touch too fast, judging from the muffled chuckle coming from Sharon’s direction.

But all he cares about now is the delight blooming across Steve’s face at Tony’s answer, and the answering giddiness he feels sweeping through him. 

Steve’s hand is warm in Tony’s when he reaches out to lace their fingers together, and Tony bites back a grin. 

He wonders what new resolutions he’ll have about Steve in the next new year.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this, all comments and kudos are very welcome! Happy holidays!
> 
> (yes, tipsy Steve is a little intense and more than a little jealous, even when he has no reason to be. Sharon is very amused. 😏 
> 
> If you're curious, I'm picturing Tony in a dark blue shirt similar to the one he wore in AOU, I like the idea that Steve has a Thing for Tony wearing blue)


End file.
